


Danganronpa EX - Life And Death Of The World's Chosen

by ZekeFreek



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Universe, Original killing game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-03-25 01:16:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13823385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZekeFreek/pseuds/ZekeFreek
Summary: "A new private educational facility has opened on a remote northern island. The World's Chosen Institute. The very first class of 'Ultimate' students boards an innocuous boat to their new lives... only to arrive to an island devoid of the staff they were expecting.Exploring the seemingly abandoned island academy tower, they discover their elderly headmaster dead in his office. Horrified, a sinister laughter draws them back outside, where they find their ship has erupted in flames.Before they can even catch their breath, the island mysteriously rises from the sea and flies into the sky. A strange holographic fields envelopes the entire area, trapping them inside.A creature calling himself Monokuma declares that The Killing Game of The World's Chosen has just begun..."The central theme of the story is Life and Death. A story about youth, pain, love and mortality. About the fear of death and the nature of existence. Previous DR themes will play a part as well in the background (Hope/Despair, Past/Future, Truth/Lies, Talents, etc.)NO LONGER UPDATED ON AO3! If interested, read it here; https://t.co/2jKWhErHj4





	1. Awakening

_ Years Ago… _

_ “Wouldn’t it be great if these fun times lasted forever?” _

_ Was it dawn… or dusk? In either case, the children are covered in shadow, contrast to the tangerine flavored sky. The identity of the speakers… unknown to all but themselves. _

_ “What are you talking about?” _

_ “I mean… this life” _

_ “Huh? Isn’t that impossible?” _

_ “Well, that’s what they say anyway” _

_ “My father always said there’s only two certainties in life, death and taxes. I’m not sure I agree on the second but the first…” _

_ “Don’t listen to these guys… I know what you’re saying, King” _

_ “Ha! I knew you’d have my back!” _

_ “No fair! I’m always on your side!” _

_ “I know, I know… I’m just teasing…” _

_ “Someone’s jealous!” _

_ “Am not! Shut up!” _

_ “This is a happy day, can’t you two give it a rest for once?” _

_ “It’s not my fault! He drives me crazy!” _

_ “She’s just saying that cause she likes me!” _

_ “I do not!” _

_ “Guys, guys… come on. I was trying to be serious” _

_ “...” _

_ “But… we’ll all die eventually… right?” _

_ “I… don’t want to die… that’s for sure” _

_ “Right? That’s what I’m saying! Nobody does! So why are things like this?” _

_ “Like what?” _

_ “It’s like… it’s just like what you said. Or your dad, whatever. Certainty. Everyone’s so certain that death is some big inevitability, they just lie down and accept it… isn’t that kinda crazy?” _

_ “I don’t think… It’s not that simple” _

_ “Isn’t it though?” _

_ “Eventually our bodies will decay and we’ll… we’ll pass on. That’s just how it is, that’s how it’s always been” _

_ “But what if it wasn’t?” _

_ “Huh?” _

_ “What if… what if by some miracle, we could live forever? What would that be like? Think about it! We would have time to do whatever we wanted! We could solve every problem in the world! We could create everything we’d ever dreamed of? Wouldn’t it just be perfect?” _

_ “Yeah I guess but… that’s impossible, right?” _

_ “For now, sure. But… look, don’t you like living?” _

_ “What? Of course I do but…” _

_ “Then you should know the answer, right? You want to keep living, so why wouldn’t you find a way to do that?” _

_ “Like I said, it’s not tha--” _

_ “It is that simple! Maybe not the methods but the belief! When something dangerous happens, you avoid it. When you get sick, you take medicine… they keep trying to cure all kinds of diseases and stuff but they never want to tackle the biggest disease of them all!” _

_ “The… biggest disease?” _

_ “Death itself” _

_ “...What’s gotten into you? Why are you suddenly going on about this?” _

_ “Because… after what we just did… I don’t want this feeling to end… you guys are my only family. I want to keep making these sorts of memories with you guys, I want to keep having fun together… I don’t want it to stop” _

_ “King…” _

_ “And I want to have loads of other experiences too! I just… this world is so vast and has so many interesting things in it! I want to see it all! I want to learn all there is to learn! Isn’t that what it means to be human?” _

_ “I think you’re right, King” _

_ “Uh, yeah! I sorta get it…” _

_ “Hm… when you put it like that…” _

_ “Guys… we can do it. We can find a way to beat death, if anyone can, it’s us. That’s what we should work towards!” _

_ “Slow down, King… this is all so sudden” _

_ “So is death, right?” _

_ “Well yeah but…” _

_ “Look I’m not saying it has to be tomorrow or anything but just… if we love this life so much, why wouldn’t we want to protect it?” _

_ “...” _

_ “That’s it. Our lifelong mission… to defeat death itself! It all starts now!” _

_ _

**Danganronpa EX**

**Prologue**

**‘Chosen of the World;Your Fate Is Sealed’**

**Part One**

**‘Awakening’**

“Hey you! Wake up!”, a voice called out.

A young man lightly groaned as he sat up on the bed, his hands tracing over the covers with a sense of surprise. He opened his eyes to see a dimly lit room before him. A room in which there was the bed in which he rested upon, a small table, a drawer cabinet and another figure standing at the doorway.

“Huh? I was… sleeping?”, he stammered out in a groggy voice.

“Hehe, obviously. Did you have a nice dream?”, the voice asked in a perky voice. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the figure before him was female. Her face was pale... but lively, in a rather subdued way.

“Hm… actually, no. I don’t think I had any dreams” he responded blankly. 

She nodded, “Huh, that’s weird... Or not, now that I think about it”, she said. It was true, a dreamless sleep was not an unusual occurrence.

“Anyway, I just came to wake you up. We’re gonna be there soon”, she said. Just as she was about to leave, the boy spoke up.

“Wait”.

She stopped and looked back, “What is it?”, she asked.

“Um… this might sound odd, but… where exactly are we going?”, he asked with a confused expression.

She raised a brow, “Are you serious? How can you forget?”, she asked. The boy shrugged, there was no answer he could give.

The girl closed the door and faced the boy once again. “We’re on the boat to our new home,  **The World’s Chosen Institute** . Geez, how long have you been asleep?”, she went on.

The boy scratched his head in confusion. “That’s a good question”, he muttered more to himself than to her, “How long  _ have  _ I been asleep?”.

“So… Institute? That means it’s some kind of school, right?”, he asked. The girl gave him a slight disapproving look, which was all the response he was gonna get to that stupid question.

“Hey, are you okay? Like in the head? Well, I guess you’d have to be to attend that place so…”, she continued on. 

“Huh? Why’s that?”, he asked.

“You’ve seriously forgotten that too…? What are you the  **Ultimate Amnesiac** ?”, she asked in a joking tone. The boy raised his own brow.

“Huh? Ultimate? What does that mean?”, he asked.

The girl was dumbfounded. “How have you forgotten all of this? Did you hit your head somehow?”, she asked, now getting nervous.

“Uh… I’m sorry… but it is what it is”, he replied blankly.

The girl crossed her arms and swung her hips back and forth jovially. “Okay, so you have amnesia… I guess that’s interesting enough”, she said. 

“Hmm?”.

“Nevermind. So since you’re memory-challenged at the moment, I guess I’ll play along and answer your questions”, she said playfully. The boy was a little confused. It was as if the girl had changed personalities on the fly.

“Um, thanks. So I guess I’d start with asking who you are”, he said in gratitude. 

“Oh? I’m  **Koyuki Makasa** , and I’m the  **Ultimate Ice-Skater** ”, she said with pride. The boy nodded but still seemed confused.

“You say that… but what is an  **Ultimate** ? What does that mean?”, he asked. The girl seemed to be getting into this as she replied.

“Well, an Ultimate title means we’re the best at our particular interests. Atleast for high-schoolers anyway, we’re the peak of that particular talent”, she explained.

“So we’re going a school for the super talented?”, he asked.

“Yeah, it just opened. We’re the first class to attend there. We got on this boat last night. We’ll be arriving in an hour or so. Everyone above was worried, so I came down to check on you”, Koyuki explained.

“Everyone? How many others are there?” he asked.

“Including you, there’s…  seventeen of us. You were there with us when we boarded… I think…”, she said before trailing off. 

“You think?”.

“Well, now that I think about it, I don’t remember you there… maybe you got picked up before the rest of us?”, she suggested. The boy shrugged, it was possible.

“So if we’re going to a school for the talented, then… what’s my talent?”, the boy asked timidly.

Koyuki didn’t have the answer to that.

“I wouldn’t know that, but I bet someone at the school could tell you”, she said, shrugging.

There was a break in the conversation where the boy took note of the girl’s appearance. She had short stylist light blue hair with a significantly darker blue streak in front. She wore a light jacket with black stripes and a dark blue skirt. Her blue boots looked quite fashionable. 

“So what’s your name anyway? Can you remember that at least?”, Koyuki asked aloud, breaking the silence.

The boy didn’t have to think long, he remembered that much.

“Kazuna… my name is  **Kazuna Yutano** ”, he said plainly.

“Hmm. Kazuna Yutano, talent unknown… interesting”, Koyuki muttered to herself. He wasn’t exactly sure what was so interesting about it. But she could think whatever she wanted. 

“Well Kazuna, you seem like an interesting guy. I think you’ll fit in fine with the rest of us… speaking of which, you should go up and meet everyone. We’re classmates now after all”, she concluded.

“Ah, right. I’ll do that”, Kazuna replied as he watched her give a nod and leave the room… leaving him very confused.

Kazuna stood up and examined his surroundings. If Koyuki hadn’t told him, he wouldn’t have guessed he was on a boat. It looked like an ordinary hotel room. He walked over to the mirror above the cabinet.

He had the same look he remembered. His pale complexion, his long messy crimson hair… his outfit was a little strange but it didn’t register that strongly.

He wore a short black poncho over a red t-shirt with a… strange symbol or logo on it. He wasn’t sure what that was. There were black straps on his forearms and he wore black jeans and brown shoes.

Huh? Did he always sleep with his shoes on? Whatever.

He was in an unfamiliar situation, but it didn’t seem like he was in any danger, so he didn’t let it bother him too much. ‘ _ I’ll probably remember in time… but I definitely feel I’m supposed to be here so it’s most likely fine _ ’, he thought to himself.

Well, he wasn’t going to discover anything in this room. He decided to leave and meet everyone. It couldn’t hurt to get to know his new ‘classmates’. 

Kazuna exited his room and headed into a grey hallway that led to other areas of the ship. He wasn’t sure which way to go so he chose to start walking left and hoped he’d run into someone.

He passed a lot of doors that probably led to other people’s rooms. He didn’t want to intrude on anyone who was resting. That wouldn’t be a good first impression. Soon enough however, he found himself going up a flight of stairs to the main deck, where he was met with the light salty breeze of the sea.

The blue sky was filled with large fluffy clouds and the waves were flowing in sync with the calm breeze. It was a picturesque day, indeed. Kazuna walked over to the railing and simply admired it for awhile. He wasn’t in any big hurry.

He found himself in such a peaceful state of mind that he didn’t even notice the person that snuck up on him. He nearly jumped when he realized there was someone standing beside him. 

“Oh sorry!”, the person said, “I didn’t mean to startle you!”. 

The person in question was a petite looking boy with long white hair and red eyes. He would’ve been hard to miss if Kazuna had been at any degree of alertness. At first he thought it was a girl, but closer inspection made him pretty sure it was a boy.

The boy wore a white and black fuku with white shorts and boots. His sleeves looked a bit too long for his arms, but that didn’t stop him from extending them out for a handshake. 

“I-I’m  **Shirou Mizukawa** ! I-It’s nice to meet you!”, he said in a nervous but enthusiastic tone. Kazuna nodded and shook the boy’s hand… his skin was even soft like a girl’s, though his grip was stronger than he appeared. 

“Right. My name is Kazuna… were you looking at the sea too?”, he asked. Shirou nodded intensely. 

“Yeah, it sure is nice out today. I love days when the sea is calm! Because it means I can be calm too!”, he said with excitement. 

“So you like the sea?”, Kazuna asked.

“Well, I should. I am the  **Ultimate Sailor** .”, Shirou answered.

“Ah, I see. I should’ve guessed from the outfit… very sailor-y”, Kazuna responded. 

“Heh, yeah. I’m excited to meet everyone today! I’ve been working on my grandpa’s fishing rigs for a long time, so I never get to meet people my own age!”, he went on. 

Kazuna simply nodded in understanding.

“So hey! What’s your talent?”, Shirou asked eagerly.

Kazuna was taken aback and at first didn’t know how to respond. But he figured being honest was probably the best course of action.

“I-I… actually can’t remember”, he admitted.

“Huh? You can’t remember your own talent?”, Shirou asked blankly.

“Yeah… it is how it is”, Kazuna responded.

“I see. Well you’re clearly dealing with your own things, huh?”, Shirou replied.

“You could say that”, was all Kazuna had to answer with.

The conversation drifted off like the waves of the sea they were both passively watching from above. The calm silence persisted several minutes until someone approached from behind.

“Ah, Shirou! So this is where you ran off to?”, called out a strong voice. The pair turned around to see a tall and brusque figure before them. Identifiably their age, but exuding a much more mature aura than either of them.

“Yeah! And look! He finally woke up!”, Shirou exclaimed happily, gesturing towards Kazuna, who looked back and forth at the figures with no discernable expression.

“Oh? So you’re finally awake, huh? I was starting to get worried… Well nevermind that. I’m  **Akihito Gatsuki** , the  **Ultimate Dentist** . Glad to make your acquaintance”, the man said as he extended a hand outward.

Kazuna stared at it for a brief instant before realizing what it meant. He shook it lightly and looked over the man before him. He had a strong jaw and determined eyes… and a big healthy grin. As one might expect of someone trained in dental practice.

His black hair was swept back like a falcon’s feathers, except for a single wing-shaped bang in the front, which was dyed white as snow… or Shirou’s hair.

He wore a blue striped sweater with a large white open coat around it, befitting his talent, one might think. Ordinary jeans and work shoes were below that. He had the look of a sterling professional. 

“Uh… likewise, I guess. My name is Kazuna Yutano”, Kazuna said amicably, if a bit on the nervous side. The man had a somewhat intimidating presence. 

“Ah, very good! And if you should have any problems, dental or otherwise, please don’t hesitate to come to me! In a manner of speaking, everyone here is a patient of mine as of now!”, Akihito declared boldly.

“Are you trained to handle problems beyond the dental?”, Kazuna asked blankly, still dazed by the man’s enthusiasm. 

Akihito gleefully laughed it off. “Haha, not entirely. But I like to think of myself as someone people can rely on. Here, lemme take a quick look at your chompers for ya!”, he said.

Kazuna felt a sense of unease, but couldn’t think of a good reason to deny the man’s request. He opened his mouth wide, revealing his teeth to the man. 

Akihito put a finger to his chin and examined Kazuna’s teeth closely… perhaps too close for comfort.

“Well, there’s obviously things I can’t tell without an X-Ray, but from a glance, I’d say you’re in good shape! Excellent work!”, he proclaimed happily. 

“I should probably expect this from a dentist but… you take dental health seriously, huh?”, Kazuna observed, closing his mouth. 

“Of course. That is my job… but even beyond that…”, Akihito said before trailing off. Kazuna titled his head in confusion.

“I just think it’s tragic what can happen when someone neglects their health. And in our busy lives, it’s easy to slip up and take your teeth for granted. That’s why I make it my business to push the importance of proper hygiene and care”, he explained.

“I think that’s so cool!”, Shirou said excitedly, “It’s like the sea! Even if it’s easy for a lot of people to take for granted, it needs to be taken care of!”, he finished.

Akihito chuckled and pat the boy on the head. “Indeed, very much like the sea!”, he agreed.

Kazuna looked down to the floor… taking things for granted… was that really so bad? After all… 

He dismissed the thought.

“Anyway! I won’t take any more of your time. You should walk around and meet everyone. We’re all gonna be classmates so we should start getting to know eachother!”, Akihito instructed Kazuna, who nodded timidly.

“C’ya around, Kazuna!”, Shirou said energetically as he and Akihito walked off together.

Kazuna wandered around the large deck for some time, not running into anyone. This was a rather large cruise ship for only seventeen people. The salty sea air whisked about pleasantly.

He went down the stairs and walked along the path that wrapped around the side of the boat. He was so distracted, gazing out at the sea, that it took him far longer than it should've to notice the patter of footsteps growing louder behind him. 

By the time he turned around, jt was too late. Someone crashed into him and they both fell over onto the wooden floor with a thud. Kazuna looked up to see that a brown-haired girl had fallen on top of him. 

Before he could say anything, the girl pulled in her legs and rolled backwards to get off of him. She then casually jumped to her feet, pointing an accusatory finger at Kazuna. 

“H-Hey! I know that was kinda my fault… But I feel like you should've gotten out of the way!”, she declared, unsure of herself. 

“Yeah… I should've…”, Kazuna repeated blankly. 

The girl had a short, rounded brown haircut and dull maroon eyes. She wore a dark brown hoodie with red lightning bolts across the front and sleeves. Black shorts and running shoes. 

“Uh… yeah! You… probably should've… um, are you okay?”, she asked, extending a hand. Kazuna stared at it longer than necessary before recognizing that she wanted him to take it. 

She pulled the boy up to his feet and scratched her head in embarrassment. “Okay yeah, I should've stopped… but I just kinda figured you'd move”, she said, realizing she'd been blaming him a bit too much. 

“Hey… why are you running anyway? It's a boat… there's nowhere to go”, he observed. 

The girl looked taken aback. “Why I am running? Well, running is what I do! I am the  **Ultimate Freerunner** , you know”, she announced. 

“Freerunning? Like, parkour?”, Kazuna inquired. 

“That's a big part of it, of course. I run because I want to. Parkour just gives me ways to keep going when most people couldn't”, she explained. 

“You run because you want to… so why do you want to run right now?”, he asked. 

“Well… to be honest, I'm getting stir-crazy waiting around on the ship! I've never liked vehicles really, I've always preferred to move my body! Sitting around just doesn't do it for me!”, she exclaimed happily. 

“You must have a lot of energy then… I can't relate, personally”, Kazuna replied. 

“Yeah, I can tell. You seem like a pretty lazy guy… Oh sorry! I didn't mean to assume or anything!”, she said, backpedalling out. 

It seemed like she had a habit of rushing forward, even in speech. 

“Sometimes I say things I wish I didn't… Even my brain moves too fast, I guess… Although I'm not too smart, but maybe I just don't have the patience for books and stuff”, she rambled on. 

Kazuna listened intently but she suddenly got self-conscious about how much she was dominating the conversation. 

“Oh sorry! I didn't even tell you my name! Heh… I'm  **Kirie Amaya** !”, she told him with a chipper smile. 

“Ah, I'm Kazuna Yutano, Ultimate… Well I don't know just yet”, he admitted sheepishly. She tilted her head in confusion. 

“You decided to come to the World’s Chosen Institute before even knowing your talent? Wow… and I thought I had a problem of acting before I think…”, she commented, before wincing. She had inadvertently made a negative assumption again. 

“It’s… It’s not like that. I don’t even remember how I got here”, he admitted.

“That sounds like a complicated situation. But I hope it works out for you”, Kirie said with an encouraging nod. Kazuna appreciated the gesture, but for some reason wasn’t able to stress over it. Everything felt… right. For some reason.

“Well, I’ve worked up an appetite with all this running. I’m heading to the kitchen!”, she said, rushing past him. Kazuna turned and watched her run off for a moment… she was really fast, as expected.

Kazuna shrugged and kept on walking in the same direction… there wasn’t anywhere to go but forward after all. But something caught his eye as he passed a portside window. There was a figure, running down the hallway. 

It was a stout man with messy brown hair, creased back by a pink bandana. His stubby legs carried him down the hall faster than one might think they could. ‘ _ Was that another classmate? Well… I guess it has to be. We’re the only ones here… _ ’, Kazuna thought.

Still, something was off about that one. 

He made a turn around the bend onto the main deck, which had a built-in pool that shimmered in the sunlight. Around that pool were a couple of tables and long chairs for lounging. And lounging in those chairs made for lounging were two girls, who were, as expected, lounging in the aforementioned chairs.

One was curled up underneath a parasol, clearly preferring the shade. The other was outstretched, facing the sunlight head on. The dichotomy was immediately clear. 

“Oooh! I hear footsteps! Who is it!? Is it the captain?”, the sun-baked girl shouted as Kazuna approached. The other girl chuckled politely and shook her head.

“Of course not. There’s no captain. This ship is auto-piloted”, she said in a gentle tone. The girl in the shade had yellow-green hair, which was wavy and leaf-like, falling just barely above her shoulders. She wore a chatrouse cloak that wrapped around her petite figure as she huddle comfortably in the long chair.

Her emerald eyes looked at Kazuna intently as he took note of her pale complexion and light sprinkling of freckles. She was cute, in an unconventional sense. She smiled lightly, “You have a calm aura, despite being somewhat troubled. That’s admirable”, she said.

“I suppose I am troubled. But it’s not bothering me as much as it probably should”, Kazuna responded honestly. The girl perked up, raising an eyebrow.

“And what is that trouble? It feels like… you’ve forgotten something… maybe several things”, she commented.

“T-That’s exactly it”, Kazuna said, unnerved by her accuracy, “I don’t remember how I got here… or this Ultimate talent I’m supposed to have”, he admitted.

The girl’s expression turned serious, as if she was deeply considering something. “And despite that… you’re quite amicable… you’re strange, but I sense you’re a kind soul”, she stated as a matter of fact.

“How do you know… or sense, all of that?”, he asked.

The girl blushed slightly for reasons that eluded Kazuna. 

“Ah! I-I’m  **Nemuko Yuasa** ! Forgive my forwardness. I-I’m the  **Ultimate Empath** , you see… I’m s-sort of… attuned to these kinds of things”, she admitted, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

“Empath? Is that a talent? I’m not sure I follow”, he replied genuinely.

“Empaths are… attuned to the feelings the thoughts of others. We are constantly affected by the moods of those around us. We’re uh… innately connected in this way”, she explained as if she was recalling a book’s definition out of nervousness.

“I-I’ve always been this way, but I guess they considered me the m-most… sensitive? Or proficient? I’m not sure myself, honestly. But I guess I’ve always wanted to counsel others, and a place like the World’s Chosen Institute could probably use someone like me…”, she went on.

“Oh. I think I get it… probably”, Kazuna said.

“Heh. I can tell you’re still confused, but you aren’t judging me for it, so that’s good”, Nemuko replied. She was very good at reading people, that was Kazuna’s main take-away. 

The other girl’s arms shot up in excitement, “I’m here as well!”, she exclaimed as if just reminding some detached third-party witnessing the conversation from another plane of existence. Hm.

“Ah, hello”, Kazuna said blankly, not sure to respond.

“Hiya! I’m  **Ultimate Gardener** ,  _ the  _ **Sanae Yasuda** !”, she called out.

“Oh, nice to meet you, Ultimate. I’m Kazuna”, he responded plainly.

“Ah, no. She just mixed those up…”, Nemuko added sheepishly.

“Oh, nice to meet you, Sanae Gardener, I’m not sure what an Ultimate Yasuda is supposed to be though…”, he responded plainly.

“You did that on purpose…”, Nemuko sighed.

Sanae had waist-length wavy brown hair and bright peach-colored eyes. She wore a pale yellow sweater under a brown apron-skirt one-piece, which had a sunflower decal on it. Appropriate for an Ultimate Yasuda… er, Gardener. As were her white sandals.

“The only plants here are fake though! So I am off-duty!”, she said with a laugh. She seemed like a fun-loving type.

“I take it you’ll be in charge of any gardens at school?”, Kazuna asked.

“Oh, you bet! This region is perfect for so many plants! Temperate, but not too hot. Unlike me, obviously!”, she exclaimed with pride.

“Ah well… it’s important to have confidence”, Kazuna replied dryly.

“We were actually talking about nature for awhile. I felt at peace with someone with such a connection to to it. I love walking in the forest whenever… people get to be too much, heh”, Nemuko said.

“Is that a problem for you? As an empath?”, Kazuna asked out of concern.

“At times… I get very affected by people’s negative emotions too. That’s why I try to mediate between others as much as I can… even if it’s hard to manage…”, she answered with a sigh.

“Oh, I’ll try to keep myself in check then”, he said.

“I appreciate that”, was her stock response.

“Don’t worry, Nemuko! If you ever feel down, just come see me! I’m a renowned raiser of spirits! Just, not in the necronomical sense!”, Sanae reassured her.

“Heh. I do feel like you’re not one to let things get to you… I might just do that”, Nemuko stated happily.

Kazuna felt he had a good read on these two. “Well, I guess I’m trying to meet everyone. Do you know where I can find anyone else?”, he asked.

“I think there was a group of boys playing cards in the lobby!”, Sanae declared, closing her eyes and letting the sun wash over her.

“It’s just that way”, Nemuko pointed past the pool to the sliding glass doors on the other side. Kazuna thanked them and moved on in that direction. 

He waltzed past the long glistening pool, the subtle breeze tickling the back of his neck. It was hard to quantify, being on a boat and all, but he supposed he was actually pretty high up. As the sun hid behind the edge of the cabin roof, Kazuna saw something he hadn’t before. 

A figure, sitting next to the sliding glass door. Its back against the wall, its knee bent up. It was definitely male and it was definitely staring Kazuna right in the eyes. There was no malice, only… curiosity. 

In the shade of the cabin roof, one feature was immediately prominent… his eyes. A strange orange hue that almost seemed to glow, but that couldn’t possibly be. The man had a neutral, unreadable expression. Kazuna wondered if even Nemuko could detect any hint of what this person was thinking.

He had dark brown hair, even more erratic than Kazuna’s. He wore a long blood red coat that, were he standing, would’ve dropped to his knees. Nearly covering his mouth was an orange bandana, and in the center, a black star. If it meant anything, Kazuna wouldn’t know.

A simple black and white striped shirt underneath gave the impression of a prisoner… but what sort of prisoner? His brown tattered pants were more suited to a construction worker than a highschooler. Everything about his appearance was strange and somewhat… disconnected.

“Who are you?”, the man asked in a soft but raspy tone.

“I’m Kazuna Yutano… uh, is everything alright?”, he replied hastily. 

The atmosphere was strangely tense. Up until this point, Kazuna had felt a sort of tenuous peace, despite the strange situation he found himself in. But now… he was beginning to awaken to doubt and uncertainty. 

“Of course”, the man stated plainly, “Forgive me… you just seemed very familiar…”. Kazuna raised an eyebrow, scratching his head in confusion. 

“Familiar? How so?”, he asked.

“I don’t know… when I saw you… there was a part of me that thought I was looking at an old friend. But it’s gone now”, the man answered. 

“It’s possible, I guess? I’m having trouble remembering things at the moment”, Kazuna suggested. The man simply shook his head somberly, biting his lip.

“No... It isn’t possible. Forget I mentioned it”, he said.

“Okay then, I’ll just add it to the list of things I’ve forgotten recently, heh”, Kazuna said jovially, trying to lighten the mood. He had a strange feeling in his chest that he just couldn’t shake.

“You’ve forgotten your talent, right? And you’ve also forgotten how you got here?”, the man asked, clearly rhetorically. Kazuna was a little taken aback.

“Wha- How did you know that?”, he demanded, a bit shaken.

A faint smile crossed the man’s lips as they formed the words, “I am the  **Ultimate Broker** . Information is my specialty, just as vital to my survival as the blood in my veins. But to be more specific, your presence here hasn’t gone unnoticed by the others… or unmentioned”, he explained. 

It was true, Kazuna thought, he had already talked to several people. Any one of them could have spread that information… or maybe this guy simply overheard it. Whatever the case, there was nothing odd about it.

“I think I get it… but what’s your name?”, Kazuna asked, trying to maintain a friendly tone.

“You can call me  **Naoya Ruazoji** . Don’t force yourself to use the whole thing if it’s difficult”, he added.

“Ruaz… Ruazoji… I’m sorry but that doesn’t sound real… is that a fake name?”, Kazuna inquired. Naoya only snickered in response. 

“Fake name? That’s such a weird concept. A name is just a label, a label is a piece of information, and that information can be anything you want. The truth is only what you can make the world believe”, he went off.

“So… it was a lie?”, Kazuna was getting a little confused.

“Who dictates what labels apply to me? Myself, of course. You can’t lie about your name… you can only decide the truth”, he retorted.

“I mean… what’s written on your birth certificate?” Kazuna demanded, trying to be more direct and avoid being pelted with riddles. But he suspected it was a fruitless endeavor. 

“I’ve never had one of those. You won’t find the name ‘Naoya Ruazoji’ on any official records. I was born in a place with no law, you see. If I was ever given a name… that information is lost”, he explained.

“So… you’re like a ghost?”, Kazuna suggested bluntly.

“A ghost? No, a ghost wanders aimlessly… invisible yes, but also unable to interact with or change anything around them. I, on the other hand, have had a great impact in our world. Information isn’t worth much if you can’t act on it”, he answered. 

“I think I understand… you have no truth so nothing you say can technically be a lie”, Kazuna theorized, crossing his arms. This conversation was surprisingly stimulating. 

“That’s a pretty insensitive way of putting it… you don’t pull your punches, do you Kazuna?”, Naoya replied.

“Well… it is what it is”, he said.

Naoya sprung up to his feet and walked bristly toward Kazuna, extending a pale hand. “If nothing else, I hope we come to understand eachother better”, he said. 

Kazuna looked down at the hand, hesitating a brief moment before shaking it firmly. But he couldn’t bring himself to look Naoya in the eyes. It was… overbearing. 

As Naoya began to walk away, he suddenly stopped. 

“Oh… and one more thing”, he muttered.

Kazuna turned and cocked his head, listening closely.

“...There’s no such thing as ghosts”, was all Naoya said, in a cadence no more than a whisper.

Kazuna watched as the Ultimate Broker walked away, his red coat flowing in the breeze. As Naoya put up his baggy hood, Kazuna noticed something peculiar etched across the man’s back.

On the back of his coat was a graphic design of a lone skull… being impaled by a medieval-looking sword. It was simultaneously unsettling… and strangely uplifting. Kazuna didn’t know what to make of it. So he just stood there in silence for a brief moment that felt all too long.

**To Be Continued...**

 

****

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Arrival

****

 

**Danganronpa EX**

**Prologue**

**‘Chosen Of The World;Your Fate Is Sealed’**

**Part Two**

**‘Arrival’**

When Kazuna opened the sliding glass door, it appeared the ‘boys’ had dispersed and the card game was through. What remained was a man with vibrant pink hair, sitting formally at a table and shuffling a deck of cards mid-air. His glasses glared as he looked up at the newcomer.

“Another unworthy opponent has entered my midst…”, he said in a snobbish tone, placing the deck down with a thud. 

“I’m sorry”, Kazuna said sincerely.

“Well I’m glad someone here knows their place. That much is a refreshing change of pace”, the man replied. Kazuna took notice of his attire, consisting of a plaid red shirt with long sleeves and golden cuffs. Atop this shirt was a thin black vest with collar. His pants were mustard yellow and of an unusual tightness.

Kazuna couldn’t tell if the man was far ahead of current fashion… or simply unfashionable. Not that he knew much of fashion himself.

“So who are you?”, Kazuna asked, “I’m supposed to go around and meet everyone”. The man only grinned as he adjusted his glasses. 

“Well you might as well stop here, you won’t find talent greater than mine. I am  **Mitsuo Hoshoki** , the  **Ultimate Chess-Player** ”, the man called Mitsuo Hoshoki, the Ultimate Chess-Player explained.

“That does sound pretty great… but I think I’ll talk to everyone else regardless”, Kazuna commented.

“I’d prefer that you did. My patience for mingling with my lessers has waned considerably after the various unpleasant encounters I’ve had today”, Mitsuo complained.

“Do you know where the others are?”

“There’s a group of people gathered in the kitchen and another pair downstairs. Consider this information a gift for not annoying me too badly all things considered”, he answered.

“Right…”, Kazuna said, raising his hand to his chin. Which way to go? There wasn’t any real pressure either way but Kazuna still found it a confounding question.

Mitsuo sighed, “Look, just so you’ll get out of my sight, I’ll draw a card. If it’s even, go to the kitchen, if it’s odd, go downstairs”, he explained and pulled from the deck.

A single 5 of hearts fell to the table.

“Downstairs it is then…”, Kazuna remarked as he moved in that direction. Mitsuo shuffled the deck once more in silence, relieved to be alone. It was brief exchange, but Kazuna got the feeling Mitsuo wasn’t one for friendly chatter.

Kazuna descended the chrome stairwell into a dim corridor of metallic sheen. The faint humming of the ship’s systems echoed throughout, creating a uneasy environment. Kazuna could see his blurry reflection in the walls… it was odd seeing such a distorted version of yourself.

As he was about to take a step forward, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He jutted around to see a figure before him, one that had come from the other end of the hall. The figure was slightly taller than Kazuna and masculine.

His hair was uniquely stylized… black, but in a shape that conjured images in Kazuna’s head. A spider… a crown… with tips dyed a sharp neon green. Despite the sharpness, it wasn’t particularly threatening… if anything it gave him a laid-back feeling.

He had a rugged looking grin above a diamond-shaped duster beneath his lip. He wore prominent, but not overbearing eyeshadow and had several black piercings on his right ear. His arms looked firm and built, coated with dark band-shaped tattoos. 

He wore a graphic t-shirt, black with a smokey pattern. Below were a pair of baggy brown cargo shorts and converse sneakers. It was simple, but somehow a lot to comment on. 

“Hey man, what’s going on? Don’t think we’ve met”, he said. His voice was raspy and distinct but casual.

“That’s because we haven’t”, was Kazuna’s simple reply.

The man blinked in surprise and shook it off.

“Well, I wasn’t sure how to approach… don’t give me a hard time about it”, he said defensively, crossing his arms.

“I didn’t mean to”, Kazuna clarified. 

The man eased his posture a bit, “Good. Anyway, I’m  **Ryuto Sonoda** . Don’t give me a hard time, I won’t give you a hard time. That’s just how I like to get by”, he said as part-greeting and part-warning.

“Don’t worry… I don’t like trouble either”, Kazuna reassured him.

“That’s good. I don’t know why, but people always like to start trouble with me. It’s a curse, I guess. Just earlier, that guy in the white coat was giving me shit about my ink. Telling me how it’s unbecoming of a student or whatever”, Ryuto ranted.

“White coat? Do you mean Akihito?”, Kazuna asked.

“Yeah yeah, him. Not two seconds into my introduction and he starts lecturing me. Who does he think he is, anyway?”.

“He said he’s someone we can rely on”.

Ryuto scoffed, “Pfft, I don’t need to rely on someone like him. A busybody, that’s what he is. Probably some insecure type that needs to boss people around to feel like he’s worth a shit, you know?”.

“If you say so…”, Kazuna said, unsure. He wasn’t comfortable taking sides yet.

“Tch. Reminds me of my dad, he was always telling me I couldn’t do this or that either. But I’m an Ultimate now, so I ain’t gotta listen to him anymore”, Ryuto said with a groan.

“So what’s your Ultimate talent?”.

“Oh right, should’ve said earlier, heh. I’m the  **Ultimate Stylist** . It’s a bit more than that title implies though. I do hair, piercings, makeup and clothing but I also do stuff like graphic design, so I’m kind of a jack of all trades, all things style anyway”, he explained.

“Well, you certainly look the part”, Kazuna commented.

“Hard not to when you’re as in deep as I am, heh. But speaking of, what part are you supposed to look like? I can’t figure it out, man”, he said, changing the subject.

“Oh um… I’m not sure yet. I can’t remember”, was the honest response.

“C-Can’t remember? What, did you hit your head somewhere?”, Ryuto asked with a blank expression.

“I don’t think so… but maybe I wouldn’t remember that either”.

“Huh… but you do remember your name, right? I don’t think you’ve told me that yet”, he prodded.

“That’s because I didn’t”, Kazuna stated plainly.

“H-Hey man… that’s just a phrase, okay? Of course I know you didn’t…”, Ryuto murmured, embarrassed.

“I’m Kazuna Yutano… it’s good to meet you, is what I’m supposed to say?”, he answered, jutting his hand out for a handshake.

“Why was that a question? Whatever, it’s good to meet you too”, Ryuto pondered, reluctantly shaking his hand. 

“You know, you seem alright Kazuna. A little off, but alright. Lot of the other guys I’ve met were either smug pricks or just kinda weird”, Ryuto went on.

“Really? I guess Mitsuo was kind of high and mighty…”, Kazuna mused.

“Kind of? Man, that dude looks down on everyone. I can’t stand it. I can already tell he’s gonna be a pain in the ass…”, Ryuto gave his thoughts on the chess-player.

“Shirou seemed nice”, Kazuna blurted out as he thought back.

“Hm? Yeah, he’s a good kid. Even said my ink was cool… I don’t know why he’s hanging around that dentist jerk though. Hope he doesn’t start acting like him”, Ryuto replied.

“Uh… the only other guy I’ve met is Naoya”.

“Naoya, huh… that guy’s a mystery. But in my experience, mysteries are usually trouble in one way or another… maybe he’s alright, but I’d keep an eye out”, Ryuto offered his viewpoint. 

“Speaking of mysteries…”, another voice shot out, this one more feminine. The guys turned to face a new figure that stood before them. It was a slender girl with long straight violet hair. 

She had striking magenta-colored eyes and a stern demeanor. A simple blue cardigan and black skirt gave a professional look, but the hot pink leggings and black boots projected a contradictory rebellious attitude. 

“Huh? Oh, it’s you again”, Ryuto sighed.

“Who is this?”, Kazuna inquired.

“Ah, so you’re finally awake. Everyone is accounted for then”, the girl declared to herself, “I’ve heard about you from the others, Kazuna. That you can’t remember your talent”, she said.

“That’s right…”, Kazuna admitted sheepishly.

“Well, it certainly is curious, but I won’t press you about it”, she mused, putting a finger to her curled lips.

“As for your question, I’m  **Anzu Hiragi** and I am the  **Ultimate Lawyer** , for lack of a better term”, she introduced herself as such.

“Lack of a better term? Does that term not fit?”, Kazuna asked with a perplexed face.

“It’s more or less fine, but doesn’t quite describe what I do. I’m more a paralegal agent than anything. I uncover secrets, as well as hide them… for the right price”, she explained.

“But a lawyer is someone who knows the law in and out, and can take on cases in court. While that isn’t my primary focus, I do fit that description in most ways”, she went on.

“So what, you gonna grill him too?”, Ryuto chimed in abruptly. 

“I don’t think I’m very tasty…”, was Kazuna’s sullen retort.

“He meant ask questions, and yes I was if you must know, Ryuto”, she stated firmly, giving him a sharp glance. He brushed it off with a scowl.

“I wanted to know if you’ve seen  **Keita Tenma** ”, she requested.

“...Who?”, Kazuna uttered in confusion.

“He’s a short dude, kinda chubby, wears a bandana on his head”, Ryuto filled in the blanks.

Kazuna lightly slammed his fist on his other palm. 

“Ah yeah, I think I have. I saw him run down this hallway from outside the windows”, he answered.

“Hm… this hallway, you say? Which way was he going?”, Anzu pressed for more information. Kazuna lined up the directions in his mind and pointed down the hall past where the stairs stopped.

“Why are you interested anyway? I guess everyone’s got a type, huh?”, Ryuto mocked.

Anzu turned her head sharply and grunted, “It’s nothing so juvenile. I’m just wary of him is all”, she said defiantly. 

“Wary? Why?”, Kazuna parroted.

Anzu crossed her arms, as if pondering whether to divulge.

“Seventeen students… no matter how I rationalize it, that’s just too awkward a number, isn’t it?”, she said, spilling her train of thought.

“Is that all? What, is an odd number against your feng shui or something?”, Ryuto remarked with a chuckle.

“It’s not just that. I don’t know if you’ve gotten a close look at him but… there’s something off about him. He doesn’t look like a highschool student, is what I’m getting at”, she elucidated.

“Is that so?”, was all Kazuna could think to say.

“Man, whatever. I ain’t gonna give the guy a hard time just cause he looks weird or something. But you do what you gotta, I guess”, Ryuto said dismissively, as he started climbing the stairs. 

“See ya around, Kazuna”, were his parting words.

There was a brief silence as Anzu evaluated her options. 

“Well, I’m going to have a word with Keita regardless. And… I think you should come along as well”, she announced. Kazuna was taken aback by the suggestion. 

“Huh? Why’s that?”.

“You can’t remember your talent… thing is, nobody seems to know what Keita’s talent is either. Perhaps you’re in similar situations? Worth investigating, wouldn’t you say?”, she reasoned.

Hearing that did pique Kazuna’s interest somewhat. Maybe Keita Tenma knew something that he didn’t. After momentary consideration, he nodded in agreement. 

“Alright then, follow my lead”, she said. They both started walking down the metallic corridor, their footsteps reverberating around them. 

“So even if some things are strange, why are you so interested in investigating?”, Kazuna asked, trying to make conversation.

Anzu paused without stopping. 

“Truth be told, everything about the World’s Chosen Institute has been strange to me ever since I first heard about it”, she admitted.

“How so?”.

“Think about it. An organization suddenly crops up, promising amazing educations and handing out these ultimate titles… between you and me, the specifics of their story are more than shaky. It all sounds… too fantastic, I suppose”, she went on.

“Really? Somehow it just seems… right, to me”, Kazuna commented.

Anzu shook her head, “Anyway, that’s why I was interested in attending the school more than anything else. I have an affinity for strange happenings, I’ve been told”, she said with conviction.

“Like what?”.

“For example, I once had to find legal evidence of brainwashing going on at a suspicious lumber mill”, Anzu provided.

“Brainwashing?”.

“Well, more specifically, hypnotism. Turns out it was happening during route eye exams at the local optometrist’s office”, she explained.

“Right… have you ever turned a case down, I wonder?”, Kazuna asked, his mind wandering as the chrome floor numbed his thoughts.

“Only once… a client wanted me to prove his employee was innocent in a murder attempt”, she answered.

“Well what was wrong with that? Did you think they did it?”.

“It wasn’t that… it was a circus, okay? I don’t… I don’t like clowns”, she admitted.

“Oh… well, I suppose everyone has a weakness”, Kazuna reasoned.

“Don’t tell anyone I said this but… I actually jumped a bit when I first saw Mitsuo’s pants. Only a little, I swear”, she confided just to make conversation.

Kazuna recalled Mitsuo’s mustard yellow jeans and nodded. “Yeah… they do resemble a clown’s pants, don’t they? Mitsuo has a strange sense of fashion…”, he said.

“You’re one to talk? What do those straps on your arms even do, anyway?”, she inquired, turning the accusation back at him.

Kazuna looked over the black straps on his forearms with a look of mild curiosity. “Huh… I don’t remember… Can’t imagine they serve any real purpose though”, he mumbled.

The further they traversed down the chrome hallway, the louder the subtle humming sound became until they were face-to-face with the door titled ‘Engine Room’. The door was cracked open ever so slightly, and from within they could hear the rattling of mechanical parts.

As well as the mumblings of a man.

Without exchanging a word, Anzu looked at Kazuna and then back to the door, giving it a slight push. There they found a man of short stature, rummaging through an iron crate. 

“Looking for something?”, Anzu called out.

The man’s head shot out of the crate in an instant, and smashed it against the bottom of the shelf it was positioned around. With a yelp of pain, the man pivoted wildly to face them.

“Gah! Yes! Yes! What is it?”, the man cried.

“Sorry… I only asked if you were looking for something”, Anzu repeated.

“No! Or… maybe. I’m not looking for anything specific, if that’s what you mean”, he stammered, looking around nervously.

“Well then, we just wanted to introduce ourselves. Seeing as we’ll be classmates as soon as we arrive”, Anzu said, leading the conversation.

“Ah, right… of course. Of course you’d want to do that… heh… I’m  **Keita Tenma** , and I am the, uh…  **Ultimate Technician** , let’s say”, he stuttered, as if Anzu’s request was both unexpected and irrational. Two things, it very much wasn’t.

“Technician? A little vague, no?”, she pressed him.

“N-Not at all. It just means that I’m good with technology, obviously…”, Keita said defensively.

“What sort of technology?”, Anzu pressed further.

“C-Communications, mostly. I work a lot with r-radios and audio-visual… e-equipment”, he specified, twitching slightly.

“No need to shake”, Kazuna blurted out.

“I’m not shaking… you just startled me and I hit my head is all… if I was shaking, which I’m not saying I am, but if I was, it wouldn’t be strange at all, would it?”, Keita rambled.

“Guess not…”, Kazuna agreed.

“But what I do think is strange is you, Keita. I can’t help but notice you look a little old to be a highschool student, and a first-year at that”, she said, her tone direct and accusatory.

It was true that he looked very out of place, even among a group as assorted as the one Kazuna found himself with. Keita had messy brown hair tucked behind a dirty pink bandana. His face was round and gruff-looking.

His nose was plump with a thin moustache underneath. He was short, only up to Kazuna’s chest, but his build was stocky. His arms were muscular and hairy though he a bit overweight. 

He wore a green polo shirt, which might’ve looked appropriate for a golf course were it not for the fact it was faded and torn a bit on the shoulder. It looked like it was just a shirt he had found somewhere. His brown shorts were the same, at a glance normal but upon closer inspection… ever so off.

“Heh, really? I g-get that a lot. I have some… g-genetic dispositions you see. But no, I’m starting high-school, just like all of you”, he said, taking a step back with an anxious cough.

“Is that so? My apologies, I shouldn’t judge from appearances”, Anzu said in a tone that sounded almost sincere.

“No worries… now if you excuse me, I am feeling a bit peckish. I think I’ll help myself to the kitchen”, Keita said, scooting past the inquisitive pair and out the engine room door.

“Come to think of it, I’m feeling hungry too”, Kazuna remarked.

Anzu put a hand to her chin in contemplation. 

“It might be a subconscious thing… but wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to say ‘the rest of us’, rather than ‘all of you’?”, she posed the question.

“What do you mean?”, Kazuna asked.

“The former would imply he considers himself one of us, a student of our new class. The latter implies he thinks of himself as separate from us”, she explained.

“Maybe but… what does that mean?”.

“I’m not sure… but he doesn’t seem interested in answering personal questions, so it’ll be hard to find out. Sorry I dragged you along for nothing”, she said, this time for more sincerity. 

Kazuna shook his head, “No, I’m trying to meet everyone anyway. I’ll probably go up to the kitchen myself, actually”, he stated.

“I doubt you’ll find Keita there. I’m pretty sure he just said that to get away from us”, she warned.

“That’s fine. There are still others I haven’t met yet”, Kazuna said as he headed back down the chrome hall, leaving Anzu alone to think to herself.

Not much ran through Kazuna’s mind as he climbed the stairs back up to the main cabin area. Things like suspicion he would leave to others. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t involve him. He was just observing. 

As he continued onward, searching for any sign of the kitchen, he came across another figure he had not yet seen. A man with dark and brooding appearance that didn’t fit the peaceful and warm cruise ship hallway.

He had neatly swept hair of a midnight blue hue and his turtleneck shirt was the same color too. Across his chest were several leathery straps and there was also a black cloak flowing right down his back. His pants were a tattered and muted grey and his boots were as dark as the opposite of day.

“What are you standing there for?”, Kazuna asked as he approached this dark figure.

The man turned his head, his hair sent flowing and a perplexed expression on his face was now showing. With a flip of his cape he rolled across the wall to answer the strange red-headed boy’s call.

He leaned off the wall by his elbow and said, “Hello there, kind sir, I’m in a bit of bind. I have the urge to do something that could be seen as unrefined”. His voice was resonant and suave, which threw Kazuna off.

His appearance might have been somewhat dreary but his attitude it seemed could not be more cheery. 

“Oh… really? And what might that be?”, Kazuna asked, his curiosity piqued. 

“Well, that can wait just a minute longer, first we should introduce ourselves, we’re not getting any younger”, he said, rattling off another rhyme.

“Uh, alright. I’m Kazuna Yutano… I don’t know my talent yet”, said Kazuna Yutano, who did not know his talent yet.

The man raised an eyebrow for a only a moment before twisting around without further postponement. With a flip of his cape and a triumphant pose, he spoke the words he had so carefully chose.

“I am  **Asuta Shingetsu** , the  **Ultimate Thief** . Allow me to make this introduction most brief. Stealing treasures most valuable always has been my calling since the day I rolled onto my knees to start crawling”, he boasted with a theatrical flair as he dramatically hoisted his arms in the air.

“A thief?”, Kazuna blinked, “That sounds pretty thrilling… but I have to ask what’s with all the rhyming?”.

Asuta pivoted his foot and fell back onto the wall, crossing his legs like he was tired of it all. “Forgive me, it’s an old habit. A friend of mine told me I was good at improv, so I sometimes break into a rhyming spree. I can stop if it bothers you”, he admitted.

“What? Oh no… it doesn’t bother me, really. But you look like you could use a break from it”, Kazuna said, noting the man’s posture.

“You’re quite considerate… My friends say I am too, although I think it’s something of a curse, personally. The rhyming, for example, you see, is done to honor my friend’s memory”, he explained.

“Hm?”, was Kazuna’s only reaction.

“Nevermind. Anyway, you said you don’t know your talent?”.

“That’s right. I can’t remember how I got on this ship either… but I’m not too worried. Everything feels fine so… I think it’s alright”, Kazuna admitted.

“It would seem there’s a lot of interesting circumstances on this ship… speaking of, I’ve been trying to get this girl to leave her room, but I’m not getting any answer”, Asuta told him, gesturing to the nearby bedroom door.

“Maybe she’s asleep?”, Kazuna suggested. He had been that way himself.

“No, I’ve definitely heard her move around in there. I want to check up with her, but I’m worried I could see something… indecent by mistake”, he went on, his mouth tightening as his cheeks flushed slightly.

“Indecent?”.

“I-I’ve read enough manga to know where situations like this lead to… frankly, I can’t stand the thought of girls hating me. So I’ve been stuck here in a mental stalemate for some time”, he admitted, pushing his fingers together nervously.

This guy’s personality truly did not reflect his appearance.

“I could do it if you don’t want to”, Kazuna offered, his face blank.

Asuta grabbed Kazuna by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. “You’d do that for me?”, he asked in a serious tone. Kazuna nodded blankly, not understanding the gravity of his actions.

“You sir, are a true friend. Hang on a moment while I pick the lock”, Asuta said, pulling a small tool out of his pocket. It took him only a second to unlock the door… that must be his talent at work. As soon as he was finished, he rolled across the floor in a flash and hid behind a potted plant.

“You go first, I’ll follow you”, he said in a hushed whisper.

Without hesitation, Kazuna turned the knob and pushed open the bedroom door. The light of the hallway flowed into the darkened room, revealing a figure that sat directly across from the door, up against the far wall.

What struck Kazuna first was the eyes… pale yellow eyes that seemed to illuminate themselves in the darkness. But as Kazuna’s vision adjusted, he could tell they were not eyes at all. And they were not upon a face one could call human.

A white mask… encompassing all but mouth and chin… the sides hanging over like fangs. Featureless… except for those eyes. They were big and expressive, but clearly artificial. 

Long strands of purple hair shot out from behind the mask in all downward directions. It was messy, ungroomed and by the look of it, almost never cut. The girl wore what appeared to be a long-sleeved white shirt with beige straps across the midriff. And several more that simply hung loose off the sleeves.

Simple white capris and bland white slippers completed the unusual and somewhat unsettling look. The first images that came to Kazuna’s mind were that of a prisoner… no, more specifically, an asylum patient. 

“H-Hello?”, Kazuna called out. 

This was a far cry from whatever Asuta had been expecting.

The girl ignored him.

“My name is Kazuna Yutano… um… what’s yours?”, he asked, trying to sound friendly.

The girl ignored him.

“We’re going to be classmates… or something… so I’d like to know what to call you”, he said, laying out his rationale. 

Suddenly, the eyes changed shape ever so slightly. They were from staring straight ahead in a neutral shape to curving downward… they looked sad. The girl lifted a finger and pointed to a tag under her left shoulder.

The tag simply read  **#26** .

“Twenty-six? What does that mean? I can’t call you that… can I?”, Kazuna murmured under his breath. This was not lost on the girl however.

“ **Subject Twenty-six** . That is my designation”, she finally spoke. Her voice was light and airy, as if she wasn’t used to using it.

“Designation? So… you don’t have a name?”.

She only shook her head.

“Why?”, he asked bluntly.

“I was never given one”, was her stock answer.

“Why?”, he repeated.

“Before I was brought here, I was in a grey room. Several grey rooms… mostly just one. I’ve never left before, never seen… people before. Only voices over speakers… figures through frosted glass”, she explained.

“Were you… in a hospital?”, Kazuna guessed.

“Yes and no”, was her only response.

“Um… that’s a little vague”.

“I don’t know much. It was a place to gather data… a place to perform tests. They gave me pills and shots and waited… waited for my body to react. They recorded what they found and gave me gloid and water”, she went on.

“G-Gloid? What is gloid?”.

“Hmph… I can answer that”, another voice spoke. Kazuna’s eyes darted around for the source, but returned to the girl’s position. Suddenly there was a figure standing beside her. It was Asuta, crossing his arms with a sullen expression on his face.

“Wha-- how did you?”, Kazuna blurted out in surprise… this must be another facet of Asuta’s talent.

“Gloid is a gel-based substance, kind of like yogurt. Only difference is, it isn’t made for the taste. It’s a purely nutritional supplement. One that can even be absorbed through the skin… it was developed for patients that can’t eat physical foods… but…”, Asuta paused and grimaced.

This girl had a working mouth… feeding her nothing but gloid was simply an uncaring cost-cutting move. 

“Let me guess… you’re the  **Ultimate Test Subject** , right?”, Asuta asked, looking down at the girl with pity.

She nodded. 

“But… what about that mask?”, Kazuna asked insensitively. 

The girl’s mechanical eyes shrunk to thin lines as her lips curled into a heavy frown. She did not want to discuss it.

There was a thick tension in the room. Even Kazuna could tell… this girl was afraid… of everything. She’d never known the world outside her confinement… everything was new. Everything was probably nerve-racking… 

With a flip of his cape, Asuta kneeled down to the floor and looked the girl straight in her special eyes. 

“I don’t mean to sound presumptuous… but I wasn’t all that different from you, years ago. It wasn’t quite the same extreme but… I was isolated from the world by my family”, he admitted.

“And when I was at my most frustrated and depressed… someone gave me their hand and showed me a world I’d never seen before. It wasn’t always easy but they guided me through it… it’s how I harnessed my talent”, he continued.

He reached out a hand to her. 

“We’re going to be classmates so… I’d like to be that kind of person for you, if you don’t mind”, he finished.

The girl looked at the hand… her expression was naturally difficult to read. But when she bit her lip, Asuta could tell… she was still afraid. He sighed and grabbed her hand himself, hoisting her up off the floor.

“If you’re going to meet the others… you’ll need a name”, he said. The girl was stiff as a board and clearly uncomfortable with this. Asuta tightened the grip on her hand slightly.

“How about…  **Niro** ? What do you think?”, he suggested.

**(Twenty-six in Japanese is Nijuroku, which is where this comes from.)**

“I-I… I don’t know. It’s neither good or bad, I guess”, she stammered out, her stoicism breaking a tad.

“Well, let’s go with that for now atleast… I’ll show you around. If you have any questions, just ask”, Asuta reassured her. Niro didn’t react, but Kazuna could’ve sworn she loosened her posture.

With a nod, Asuta took her out of the room and down the hall.

Kazuna felt as though he had just witnessed something special, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. Asuta had his quirks, and clearly some kind of history… but he seemed very compassionate. That was all he could say about it.

It didn’t take Kazuna long to locate the kitchen, all he had to do was follow the faint scent of food. It was a quaint eating area with few tables and a preparation area towards the back. He could tell by the way someone was preparing something at that very moment.

There was a man brandishing a knife behind the counter, carefully cutting into a black tray. More specifically, he was slicing up a brown-ish cake-like substance. Even more specifically than that…

“Brownies?”, Kazuna asked.

In an instant, the man flipped the knife upward and held it at Kazuna’s throat. Kazuna had no reaction as various bits of brownie scattered across his face. 

“Hmph, you shouldn’t sneak up on someone like me… could be fatal”, the man said with a serious look in his eyes, which were a vibrant green. 

“I wouldn’t call it sneaking…”, Kazuna said blankly.

The man’s hair was wild, five brown spikes formed a curvy star shape around his scalp, while long pointed strands of blond hair filled the gaps between them. He wore a lengthy emerald tabard atop a brown long-sleeved jumpsuit. 

It was both weirdly traditional and oddly casual.

“I know what it is you seek…”, the man stated ominously, his eyes darting down to the tray of brownies.

“Well… I am rather hungry”, Kazuna admitted.

“But are you hungry enough for desserts of my calibur?”, the man inquired, a smug grin forming on his face. 

“...You put gunpowder in these?”.

“I… no, not that kind of calibre, you fool! These are not just ordinary brownies! They were crafted with three different varieties of chocolate, placed on a rotisserie for even cooking and each ingredient measured precisely for the most airy and moist brownie you’ve ever experienced!”, he boasted proudly, as is the most common way to boast.

“Cool… can I have one?”.

“Hmph, how arrogant. I only make such desserts for friends and you have not even yet introduced yourself! Are you going to rush off with one like the last guy? Huh!?”, he demanded accusingly, pushing the knife a little closer to Kazuna’s unmoving face.

“Oh, so Keita did come here…”, Kazuna mused to himself.

“Yes he did! He rushed in and stole one before I could even add the finishing powdered sugar! Now he’s going to judge me for an incomplete dessert I just know it!”, he ranted.

“I mean… I’ll wait. I’m Kazuna Yutano… I don’t remember my talent”.

The man eyed him down before slowing retracting the knife.

“And I… am **Yuuji Sakabaru**. Yes, of _the_ **Sakabaru Clan**. I was chosen to represent my clan as the **Ultimate Hunter** … although truthfully, baking is my real passion these days”, he decreed as he gazed lovingly at his confectionary creation.

“I’ve never heard of such a clan… what do they do?”, Kazuna asked, trying to reach for a brownie but having his hand smacked away as Yuuji reached for the powdered sugar.

“My clan are world-renowned hunters. We take on contracts to accomplish things others cannot. Eliminating dangerous beasts, finding lost artifacts, capturing criminal fugitives… that sort of thing”, he explained as he sprinkled the sugar atop the brownies.

“That’s your Ultimate talent?”.

“Yes… a title bestowed to get rid of me, actually. You see, I was actually so proficient at my work that other members of my clan were having immense difficulty finding jobs. So my father arranged for me to to be sent to the World’s Chosen Institute”, Yuuji went on.

“So… because you were too good at your work… they sent you to a school… to become even better at it?”, Kazuna tried to follow the train of logic.

Yuuji sighed and handed him a freshly sliced brownie. 

Kazuna took a heavy bite, and immediately his clothing ripped apart as he cried out in ecstatic glee not dissimilar to the primal howls of intense sexual stimulation!

Nah, just kidding. That sort of thing would be silly.

“Mhm, this is really good. I like how the top and bottom are just a little crispy…”, he said as he took another bite. Yuuji looked pleased with the result.

As he munched on the brownie, he gazed around the room and spotted something he had missed the first time. There was a girl sitting by herself at the far back table, hidden behind a sign advertising… well nothing. Seems they forgot to put an ad there.

“How long has she been there?”, he asked Yuuji, who was cleaning off some equipment. He could only shrug.

Kazuna walked over to the girl and examined her closely.

He had pale skin and messy black hair with a single white strange running down the left side of her forehead. She wore big black headphones that encompassed her ears completely. But strangely there were tiny speakers along the band of the device… they resembled cat ears.

A white hoodie with two black stripes around the midsection. Black shorts with white trimmings… and long thigh-high socks, black with thin white rings… or was it white with thick black rings? Fuzzy-looking black boots completed a very monochromatic outfit.

What’s more, there was a long corded belt that ran well past her waist and ended in a pointed fold. Along with the headphone’s unusual shape, it gave her a very cat-like appearance.

Her eyes were closed, her hands stuffed in her hoodie pockets. And Kazuna could hear the faintest sound of music playing. Was she really asleep?

He snapped his fingers in her face, but there was no reaction.

Reluctantly, he tapped the girl’s shoulder. She shook it off and frowned, “Don’t bother me…”, she whispered as if still not fully conscious.

Even if she said that… he couldn’t just  _ not  _ meet her. Thinking quickly, he ran back to grab another brownie from the tray and started waving it under her nose.

The girl sighed and snatched it from his hands. “Well if you’re not going to stop…”, she muttered as she wolfed it down in one bite. After wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she finally opened her eyes to see who was annoying her.

Kazuna was immediately stunned by what he saw… her eyes were an impressive golden shade that seemed to pierce his very being. It was somewhat intimidating, to be honest. 

“You want my name and talent, right?”, she asked bluntly.

“Uh… yeah, if you would”.

“My name is  **Kameko Kuroba** … my talent is being the  **Ultimate EDM** ”, she stiffly replied in a tone that wouldn’t let one forget she was coerced into giving that information.

“EDM?”, was the obvious utterance.

“Electronic Dance Music… I’m a producer, artist, musician… whatever you want to call it”, she answered the question she knew was coming, tapping her headphones gently.

“You make electronic music?”.

“Yes. I go by the handle  **Shadecat** , but if you didn’t even know what EDM stood for, you’ve probably never heard that”, she said, her expression cold.

“Are you famous?”.

“In certain circles…”, was her vague reply.

It didn’t seem like she was big on talking about herself… in that case, Kazuna wondered if her music could do the talking for her.

“Can I hear something you made?”, he asked as nicely as he could.

The girl bit her lip and looked away.

“That’s embarrassing…”, she mumbled.

Kazuna supposed it would be, just watching someone’s reaction to your work. 

“Music is an isolated experience… that’s what I think. Something to be discovered on your own… that sort of connection”, she rambled on, seemingly not talking to Kazuna. He noticed she seemed to have difficulty looking him in the eye.

“You don’t think people can bond over music?”, he asked plainly as the thought came to him.

“I don’t care if they do…”, she said. Each word more icy than the last. A moment of silence passed before she spoke up again.

“...Are we done here?”, she asked.

“Um, I guess… if you want to be”, he responded.

She stood up, stretching like she had been curled up in the chair for a long while… she looked far too much like a cat. 

“Good. I find this kind of thing tiring… you should avoid talking to me unless it’s important”, she warned as she took a step past Kazuna.

“Wait. Why are you going to the Institute then?”, he had to ask.

Another pause. 

“Someone wanted me to. I couldn’t say no”, was as much information as she was willing to part with. Kazuna was glad she at least said that much.

Just as she was about to leave, she placed a hand on the doorframe and stopped. 

“Also… you should avoid him”, she uttered without context. Kazuna looked through the glass wall to see a familiar figure… the man in the red coat… Naoya Ruazoji. He was simply passing through an adjacent hallway, unaware he was being watched.

“Huh? Why?”, Kazuna demanded.

“Because he’ll only betray you”, were her foreboding final words as she wandered off. Kazuna stood there in surprise, his mind reaching in a dozen different directions but ultimately grabbing nothing.

He put that thought in the back of his mind. There should only be one more classmate to meet… and only one place he hadn’t looked yet.

* * *

 

The observation platform atop the ship… that was the last place. As Kazuna climbed the metal stairs leading to it that wrapped around the edge of the ship, he could see an island off in the distance. That must be their destination.

As he went higher and higher, slowly the platform came into his field of view. And there he saw the last of his new classmates, standing alone against the safety railing, gazing out at the island that they were fast approaching.

It was a girl with short and neat black hair with a single blue strand in front that reminded Kazuna of someone. She wore a dark blue cardigan on top of a black corset and frilly skirt. Her long dark boots with fine laces made her look very elegant.

“Hello!”, he shouted as the sea winds intensified. All of the sudden the girl jumped in shock and lost her footing, her body twisting until she fell into him, causing them both to tumble back down the metal stairs until they slammed on the flat section below.

When Kazuna opened his eyes, he saw her staring up from underneath him, her face turning as red as a fresh tomato. “Oh, I’m sorry I startled you…”, he apologized sincerely.

“N-N-No p-problem… I w-wasn’t paying att-tention”, the girl muttered nervously as her eyes darted around. 

“Why are you sweating so much? Are you sick?”, he asked, tilting his head in confusion. The girl bit her lip and took a deep breath before exclaiming.

“N-No! I’m n-not s-s-sick! Just… j-just… c-could you p-please move your h-hand?”, she begged him, her whole body starting to fidget about. 

Kazuna looked to see that his hand was currently pressed up against the girl’s chest in a rather compromising way. His entire palm was filled with a pleasant softness… 

Before he could remove it, there was a loud snickering coming from further down the stairway. The pair turned their heads to see another figure standing there, arms crossed her stomach, trying to hold in laughter.

“S-S-Sis!?!”, the girl beneath Kazuna exclaimed.

“Oh, it’s you again”, was Kazuna’s much more subdued reaction.

“Well, well, well! I was going to introduce you eventually but I can see you’re already pretty well acquainted, eh, sis?”, a familiar perky voice called out. It was Koyuki Makasa, the first person Kazuna had met on the ship and other girl with the long dark blue strand in her hair.

“T-That’s n-not f-funny, sis!!”, the other girl shouted, sounding like she was nearly out of breath.

“And et tu, Kazuna? I let you out of my sight for a few hours and you’re already cheating on me? You’re better than I thought”, Koyuki said jokingly, feigning offense. 

“Huh? What game were we playing?”, Kazuna asked, not understanding the context.

Koyuki was too focused on her apparent sister to answer that question. “Wow, I knew you wanted to meet a guy at the school but I didn’t think you’d have caught one already! I’m disappointed… it’s like you’ve gone and left me behind,  **Maaya** …”, she whimpered with theatrical posh.

“T-That’s n-not it, sis! And I n-never s-said that! Y-You did!”, the other girl named Maaya Makasa cried.

Ignoring her, Koyuki turned her attention back to Kazuna. 

“But Kazuna! I’m soooo jealous! You’ve never fondled mine that way! And mine are ever bigger than Maaya’s!”, she declared with an impish grin, hoisting her own chest up proudly.

“T-That’s n-not t-true! W-We’re the s-same s-size! S-Stop l-lying, sis!”, Maaya shouted defiantly before covering her own mouth in regret and embarrassment.

“Aw… maybe we can share him then! I know, I’ll take him Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and you--”, she went on before Kazuna interrupted with a musing question.

“Am I the child of divorced parents now?”, he wondered aloud.

Ignoring that, Koyuki ran up to her sister and smiled gleefully. “Tell me, Maaya! How does it feel? You certainly look like you’re enjoying it!”, she taunted with a sparkle in her eyes.

Defeated, Maaya turned away from her sister and looked at Kazuna pleadingly. Finally remembering the initial predicament, Kazuna removed his hand from her breast and offered her a hand, pulling her up to her feet.

Maaya tried to run away but simply crashed into her sister’s arms. “Now now… that’s rude of you, Maaya. Let’s introduce ourselves, Kazuna won’t bite”, Koyuki said, turning her around.

Kazuna stared at the shy girl expectantly.

“I-It’s g-good to meet you… I’m  **Maaya Makasa** and I-I am the  **Ultimate Actor** ”, she stammered out anxiously.

“And actor is right! You just gave a wonderful performance, sis! Acting like you weren’t enjoying every second of that!”, Koyuki teased, wrapping her arms around her sister’s shoulders.

“S-Stop it, sis! I’m t-trying to forget about that!”, Maaya demanded, her voice high and desperate.

“You’re really an actor?”, Kazuna asked, a little shocked.

“Oh, don’t let her nervous face fool you! She’s the best actor in the world! Daddy raised us to be the best, after all. Of course I was more suited to the ice rink…”, Koyuki explained.

Taking a deep breath, Maaya tried to calmed herself down. 

“That’s right… I’ve been acting since before I could walk. I’m actually really nervous about going a real school… I’ve never done that before”, Maaya said, looking at the ground.

“She means she’s excited because she gets to meet cute boys. Daddy never let them near her before!”, Koyuki took over. Maaya elbowed her sister in the ribs and freed herself.

“I-It’s not t-that! It’s j-just… I’m so used to f-following scripts that I d-don’t really k-know who I am! I’ve always been one c-character or another and that’s what the adults wanted! B-But n-now I have to be myself and I d-don’t know how to do that…”, she stammered out, blurting out more than she probably meant to.

“If it makes you feel better… I’m not sure who I am, either” Kazuna stated out of the blue. Maaya turned to face him, her interest captured.

“I can’t remember my talent… or even how I got on this boat. Or why I’m going to this World’s Chosen place… but I’m not too bothered by that. I’ve met a lot of interesting people, so… I think it’ll be okay”, he went on.

The wind blew past the trio as Maaya simply looked him in the eye with a serious expression.

“Um… what was your name again?”, she asked, her knees bending inward by reflex.

“I’m Kazuna… Kazuna Yutano”, he stated.

“N-Nice to meet you, Kazuna… I’m Maa-- wait I already said that… um! I h-hope we’ll get along at s-school!”, she replied, rapidly changing the subject.

Kazuna nodded with a faint smile. 

“Yeah, of course”.

Koyuki slung her arm back around her sister’s should and sighed, “Okay, I’m sorry to separate the lovebirds but we’re gonna arrive soon. We should go get ready, right sis?”, she said, gazing out to the island that was fast approaching.

“Oh! O-Okay! Sure! Uh, bye Kazuna!”, Maaya said happily as she was dragged away by her overzealous sister. As they went down the stairs, Kazuna thought he could hear some derision over that ‘lovebirds’ remark.

Kazuna stared out at the sea as the boat drew ever closer to the island. He could just barely make out a black tower in the distance… was that the Institute?

He had met all of his classmates… and still knew very little of his situation. But somehow, he remained calm and composed. Everything seemed so peaceful… and there was a part of him that was actually looking forward to some kind of happy school life.

Suddenly… a crackling noise.

Kazuna twisted and turned but couldn’t locate the source.

He shrugged. It was probably nothing.

But then it happened again. And louder this time.

He was able to see where it was coming from.

It was an electric static… coming from a speaker atop the ship’s flagpole. It was now generating a stream of constant static noise that filled his ears and grew louder by the second.

Without warning, his head started to hurt… a sharp pain that coursed through his skull… why? What was the feeling? Of dread? Of fear? Or… 

Despair?

And before he knew it, the crackling static sound morphed into a distinguished and goofy sounding laughter…

“...Puhuhuhu… Puhuhuhu…”

Before suddenly cutting out completely.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Ascension

**Danganronpa EX**

**Prologue**

**‘Chosen Of The World;Your Fate Is Sealed’**

**Part Three**

**‘Ascension’**

As the ship drew ever closer to the island off the distance, Kazuna could see the ominous looking black tower surrounded by thick pine trees and a grassy field that seamlessly transitioned into a rustic golden shoreline. 

It was as picturesque as it was foreboding.

The crackling of the speakers ceased and only the soft whips of the sea breeze could be heard. This silence did not last long before Kazuna heard a panicked shout from below. He turned to it slowly, more out of curiosity than alarm.

“JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!?”, a boisterous voice called out. It was Akihito, he was sure, as nobody else could muster such a thunderous command for information. This was Kazuna’s reasoning, at any rate.

Kazuna made his way back down the stairs towards the main deck, finding it increasingly difficult to take his eyes off of the island in the distance, as if it was calling to him. As he approached, he witnessed a scene unfolding from a higher vantage point.

Three figures were standing in the center of the main deck, one knelt on the floor with a pained expression. That figure was Keita, the stout man from earlier, who seemed to be cowering in fear of Akihito, who towered over him with a scowl.

Beside him was Shirou, who looked very confused. 

“Akihito! What’s wrong? I heard you shouting all the way from my room…”, Shirou pleaded, his red eyes darting between the two.

“I found him in the engine room, trying to wreck the place! Now what exactly were you trying to do, Keita? Tell me!”, Akihito demanded as he glared at the fearful man. 

“P-Please! You d-don’t understand! We c-can’t go to that island! No m-matter what! We have to s-stop this ship now!”, Keita begged as he attempted to make a dash for it, but Akihito blocked him.

“Hold on! What do you mean, ‘we can’t go to that island’? That’s where the academy is! Have you lost your mind? We’re supposed to go there!”, he explained, but Keita just shook his head.

Keita groaned as he paced back and forth, “L-Look, it’s… it’s not what you think, okay!? I can’t explain but we h-have to get manual control of this ship and turn it around! We n-need to leave! Go anywhere but t-there!”, he rambled on.

Akihito just stared at him like he was mad. 

“Just calm down, alright? I know going to a new school can be difficult… and there’s a lot of pressure put on us Ultimates but that’s no reason to act this way”, Akihito told him, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“Akihito, don’t you think there’s more to it than that? This goes beyond being nervous…”, Shirou asked, not sure what to make of it.

“Whatever he’s dealing with, he can take it up with the staff at the academy. I’m sure they’ll know what to do”, Akihito concluded proudly.

Keita flailed his arms and stomped the floor. 

“Gaaah! You don’t get it! There aren’t going to be any staff! No teachers, no janitors, no nothing! Don’t you think it’s odd that there aren’t any staff on the ship in the first place? What kind of school leaves brand new students unattended on a luxury cruiser!?”, Keita ranted. 

“Um… the World’s Chosen Institute?”, Akihito muttered as if that answered the question, but his face was unconvinced.

“Ugh! I don’t have time for this! We need to take control of the ship bef--”, Keita started again, but was interrupted by the sound of the ship slowly down and beginning its docking procedure. 

“Well, would you look at that! We’re already here!”, Akihito declared.

Keita darted around in horror as he saw the ship slowly aligned itself with the island and drew in ever close to a metallic dock, whilst extending a platform from which to cross over.

“No! No! No! This c-can’t be happening! It’s s-still not too late! I can still turn this around!”, he shouted as he rushed back, only to be caught by Akihito. 

“Agh! Just stop it, will you? We’re nearly there!”, he yelled as he pushed the stout man back. Both men were brought to a standstill by an automated loudspeaker announcement.

“Attention. Docking will be complete in thirty seconds. Autopilot will be disengaged. Please re-fuel at your earliest convenience as reserves have been depleted. Have a wonderful day”, a mechanical voice rang out.

Keita dropped to his knees with an absolutely sullen expression.

“Guess they only included enough fuel for a one-way trip…”, Shirou commented while reaching a hand, trying to help Keita to his feet.

It wasn’t long until the announcement brought the others to the main deck. Slowly, the platform was filled with peculiar-looking highschoolers. Some of which took notice of Keita’s sunken appearance with raised eyebrows.

“What’s going on here?”, Anzu was the first to ask.

“Oh! Nothing! Keita here was just a little too excited about arriving at the Academy! Nothing to worry about!”, Akihito lied, attempting to dissuade further drama from unfolding.

Ryuto crossed his arms, unconvinced. “He doesn’t look excited… he looks scared out of his fucking mind”, he snarked. Keita rocked back and forth nervously, as if proving Ryuto’s point.

The extended platform made contact with the dock, forming a solid bridge. Safety rails slid up from the sides and snapped into place, completing the docking protocol. A sign perched nearby turned green, indicating that it was safe to cross.

Kazuna made his way down as the others walked over the bridge and onto the island. The smell of the ocean drifted behind him as a new smell took over… the scent of grass and pine filled his nostrils pleasantly.

“Aah! It’s about time!”, exclaimed Kirie excitedly as she stretched her arms in place, “I was getting tired of being crammed up on that boat!”.

“I missed that natural air… ah, there’s so much green here! Isn’t it great, Nemuko?”, Sanae asked, hopping up and down. The other, shorter girl looked calm as she nodded.

“This place… it does seem to have a peaceful aura…”, she muttered, shuffling around in her cloak.

A peaceful aura? Kazuna wondered. Then what was that ominous feeling earlier? 

But the footsteps slowly ground to a halt as the group looked around in every possible direction. Nobody seemed eager to point out what was obvious to everyone. But eventually, Ryuto broke the silence.

“...Where the fuck is everyone?”, he blurted out. 

Just as Keita had predicted, there was nobody on the island to greet them. No staff of any kind… and the seemingly peaceful aura of the island rapidly turned uneasy. The group broke apart as if to search the area further. 

“To be all alone… what a strange fate. Perhaps we are early? Or possibly late?”, Asuta mused as he peered down a dirt path, leading into the unknown.

“Impossible, it’s 1PM. That’s when we were supposed to arrive, right?”, Anzu noted, checking her wristwatch intently. 

“Hm… what do you think, Kazuna?”, a sly voice perked up from behind him. He never even noticed Koyuki was there. 

“Uh, that we missed lunch?”, Kazuna said as if he didn’t put any thought into it.

“Guys, guys, guys. Clearly the Academy trusted us to find our own way! They’re all probably waiting for us at the tower! Follow my lead!”, Akihito proclaimed, waving his arms for attention.

While many of them didn’t seem to share his optimism, nobody could imagine a better course of action. And so the group headed down a wide dirt path, cutting through loose patches of trees and passing by several smaller buildings, whose functions were unknown.

The group was nearly silent as they traversed the unfamiliar territory. The trees swayed in the wind, giving off a sense of foreboding they did not expect to find at their new home. Was this truly where they were meant to go?

They climbed a small incline to reach the base of the tower. The walls that curved off to either side were a sleek shade of shale that stretched upwards seemingly into infinity. A black plaque above the entranceway read in shimmering golden letters, ‘World’s Chosen Institute’. 

There was no doubt that this was the place they were meant to be.

Akihito turned around to address the group, “See guys? Nothing to worry about! I bet as soon as we open this door, everyone will jump out and welcome us!”, he shouted with excitement. 

Out of everyone, only Shirou seemed to share the sentiment as he nodded eagerly.

Taking a deep breath, as if to pump himself up, Akihito boldly pushed open the large double-doors. They swung open with no resistance to reveal an immaculate interior. A large circular chamber, the walls a stunning obsidian hue that contrasted with the checkerboard pattern that glistened across the floor.

Stairs jutted out from around the walls in a spiral, leading up to higher floors which could be seen from below. In the center of the room was a silver fountain in the shape of globe. The very essence of being chosen by the world was encapsulated in this space.

It was a very sleek and modern building, worthy of boistering such amazing talents. That was the immediate thought on everyone’s minds. The echo of a hundred footsteps rang out as the group entered all at once… except for one.

While everyone else was dazzled by the sight of their new surroundings, Keita made a run for it. He dashed off around the side of the building and out of sight. 

“Huh? Where does he think he’s going? Does he have a sick mother to attend to?”, Sanae guessed, holding a finger to her cheek curiously. 

Adjusting his glasses, Mitsuo scoffed, “Forget about him. More importantly, where is the academy’s staff?”. His question was met with only silence.

“Uh… I’m sure they’re here somewhere! Follow my lead!”, Akihito said, sounding unsure himself for the first time. His eyes darted around for any possible sign of non-student life.

“Aha! The headmaster’s office! Just over there! Good place to look, no?”, he went on, pivoting himself in that direction. 

As the group continued onward, the Ultimate Hunter’s nose twitched subtly. “There’s a foul smell beyond here…”, Yuuji muttered. It was only a moment later that the others caught onto it as well.

Mere inches from the door, Akihito began to have doubts about this course of action. “On second thought--”, he began before he was pushed aside. 

“Goddamn! What the fuck is making that sm--”, Ryuto shouted as he kicked open the door… and proceeded to fall onto his knees in shock. There was sharp gasps and panicked jitters as the foul smell entered the main chamber.

If you expected a pleasant story about quirky children with hopeful futures… you’re about to be sorely disappointed. There in that office, the Ultimate students encountered something they never thought they would see in a place that promised them grand and happy possibilities.

They encountered… death.

A corpse lay before them, withered and grey. 

Akihito shuddered as he approached the lifeless vessel with a nervous gulp. It was as he had feared… 

“I-It’s him… the h-headmaster.  **Professor Akaiashi** … he’s d-dead?”, he murmured, not fully believing what he was seeing. 

Nemuko rushed out the room with a crazed expression, clutching her head as she went. Sanae followed her with in a sprint out of concern. 

Niro, who had remained silent and distant from the group, slid against the wall in shock. Wrapping her arms around her knees and rocking from side to side as if it would make it all go away. Asuta stood above her, his eyes closed.

Maaya looked away… and like she was about to throw up. Her sister caught her and held her, without looking away from the body on the floor. 

Yuuji grimaced but also didn’t look away. He had seen plenty of death in his line of work. It no longer surprised him… but it still wasn’t pleasant. Mitsuo had a similar demeanor.

Anzu stared at the corpse intently, as if examining it in full detail. She was unnerved but focused.

Shirou and Kirie were in various states of panic, but attempted to steady their breathing and keep calm. It wasn’t easy, they were clearly failing. 

Kameko turned away, not wanting her face to be seen.

As the last remaining hand reached out to Kazuna’s shoulder… the unexpected happened. Naoya stepped back as it occurred… Kazuna dropped to his knees… tears flowing from his eyes… but his expression was completely neutral… almost unaware.

There was something welling up from within him… but it couldn’t escape. If not for the tears, he wouldn’t seem like he had been affected at all… but they flowed all the same. Naoya was stunned by the display and asked a question calmly. 

“A-Are you alright? Did you know him?”.

Kazuna shook his head.

Nothing made sense anymore. 

How could this happen.

This tragedy. 

But the most unnerving part was that Kazuna’s eyes remained neutral, his face stoic and unchanged. It was as if he wasn’t seeing what everyone else was seeing. But there was no time to dwell on whatever feeling this was supposed to be.

The ground shook and a loud rumble could be heard from outside.

Their brains wracked, not able to process anything beyond basic survival instinct, the group rushed out of the tower to find a billowing column of smoke coming from the docks. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. 

But it was too late.

A roaring fire on the sea… metal parts snapping apart and furniture collapsing into the abyss. The ship that had carried them was burning away before their very eyes. 

Before they could even think of anything else… there was the laughter. A very distinctive, very sinister laughter that echoed across the area. Kazuna recognized it and twisted his body around to the source.

“Puhuhuhu… Huaahahahahaha!”, a high-pitched cackling rang out as entire group turned to see a solid black pillar rise from the ground, and atop that pillar was one of the most bizarre things they’d ever seen.

What looked like a bear, split between white and black… a wicked red eye glowing menacingly as the skies themselves began to darken, seemingly in response. 

“You thought you’d seen the last of me!? Like the phoenix, I am reborn! As long as humans fear death and discord, I shall never die! For I am, as I always have been…”, it spoke in a callous yet cheery tone. 

The bear leapt the flipped through the air with cartoonish grace as he landed with celebratory pose. 

“... **Monokuma** !”, it declared, the name alone causing the students to buckle in fear. Kazuna clutched his forehead as a piercing pain shot through it… for some reason, it hurt just to look at the creature.

Ryuto stomped ahead the group and called out, “And what the fuck are you supposed to be?”. He glared at what appeared to be some kind of cartoon mascot brought to life.

“I’m glad you asked… puhuhu… I am your Headmaster!”, it proclaimed with a satisfied grin… that might’ve been what drove Ryuto to do what he would do next… that damn grin.

He rushed forward and delivered a solid punch to the bear’s face, causing it to bounce off the ground with a boing and crash into the pillar it came from. 

Picking itself up, it looked angry.

“...I’ll forgive that this once since I haven’t yet explained everything to you guys… but do that again and you will face the punishment…”, it muttered, each word more spiteful than the last.

“Punishment? You think I’m scared of some stupid-looking rodent!?”, Ryuto shouted, psyching himself up. His fight-or-flight response was set hard to fight, and he was raring to go with anything or anyone that egged him on. 

“I’m not a rodent… I am Monokuma… but I see you need more convincing of the power I hold here…”, it went on, snapping fingers it didn’t appear to have. 

“Rapture rise! Rapture rise! We turn our heads… to the skies!”, it screamed in a joyous cadence.

The ground shook violently and several of the students were knocked clean off of their feet. Intense rumbling as a green light began to emanate from the top of the academy’s prestigious tower. A beam of light shot out from the center of the island, and started encasing the entire landmass.

Eventually it formed an orb-shaped grid pattern of emerald hexagons that spanned the entire sky, cutting into the ocean itself. Everyone was both amazed and terrified, everything was happening so quickly that nobody had time to react.

That was when the rumbling intensified even further and everyone was pushed against the ground as they saw the island pull itself away from the sea that housed it. Waves crashed back and forth as the land itself rose into the air.

Everyone crawled and tumbled further inland, instinctively afraid of falling off the edge. Monokuma stood there, unfazed by the chaos around him. 

They rose higher and higher… it was insanity. Nobody knew what to think, everything was a blur as they tried to make sense of the unsensible. Rational thought failed them as the island beneath them hurdled into the sky above at speeds that made their hearts stop beating.

They kept going and going, never knowing, never knowing, never showing any signs that they were slowing. The wind lashed against their bodies with such force that made them feel like paper dolls. Mere toys to be played with in a world they were starting to realize they didn’t understand.

After a moment that felt like an eternity of fear and panic, the island stabilized itself and slowed down to a steady position, high into the clouds. Taking a brief moment to catch their breath, the group picked themselves up off the ground.

The world around them didn’t look all that much different at first glance. But they suddenly found themselves far, far above where they were only moments ago. Ignoring the talking bear, they rushed to the docks and peered over the edge of the island.

All they could see below was a sea of thick clouds, pierced by the hexagonal pattern of the mysterious green light. A million questions raced through their minds. 

“How… is this even possible?”, Nemuko muttered, her eyes widening.

“M-Maybe we’re d-dreaming!? Quick! Pinch my cheek!”, Sanae demanded, unable to keep herself still.

The squeaky footsteps of Monokuma came forth with a snickering glee. “Puhuhu… you’re not dreaming. And before you get any bright ideas, this isn’t some virtual simulation or staged television show either! This. Is. Reality”, he clarified, his tone growing more vicious.

“A reality of talking bears and flying islands… that’s a little much for my heart to take…”, Kirie whimpered as she bit her lip in frustration.

“Well? What is it you want from us?”, came a voice from the back of the group. It was Naoya, who stood with his hands in his pockets, staring daggers at Monokuma.

Everyone’s attention turned back and forth between them.

“You went to all this trouble, so you must want something”, he concluded, his face stone-cold and unreadable. 

“Oh? Are you one of those proactive types? Or maybe you’re just masking your fear? It doesn’t really matter either way I suppose…”, Monokuma rambled.

“As you can plainly see, this island has become your world! We’re soaring high above the clouds where nobody can disturb our game! The force-field surrounding this place is designed to keep you trapped! There’s nowhere to run so let’s have some fun!”, Monokuma explained, practically singing with joy.

“Game? Fun?”, Yuuji snarked.

“Why… it’s the  **Killing Game** , of course”, was the bear’s most brazen reply.

Killing… game?

“Monokuma… Killing Game…”, Kazuna murmured under his breath, these new concepts swimming around his mind.

“Simply put… I want you Ultimate students of shining potential… to murder one another! Uh, murder means to take each other’s lives, by the way. In case you didn’t know that…”, Monokuma said.

“We know what murder means, but I don’t take anyone’s life without a contract”, Yuuji responded, crossing his arms in defiance.

“I-I d-don’t take anyone’s life, period!”, Kirie reassured everyone in a frenzy.

“Puhuhu… Are you so sure? Because unless you do, you’re never leaving this island, you know. Well, I suppose there is one other way out… but I don’t think you’ll like it”, Monokuma chided her naivety, his grin sharpening.

“We have to kill someone… if we want to leave? Is that right?”, Anzu asked, putting a hand to her chin in contemplation.

“L-Leave? Why would we leave? We’re supposed to be here, right? We’re the World’s Chosen!”, Akihito insisted, wincing slightly at the craziness around him.

“Gah! You still don’t get it? I’m the Headmaster and what I say goes! You guys are going to participate in this mutual killing game! Or else you’ll meet the same fate as that fake!”, Monokuma shouted, his black and white face appearing slightly more red.

“Fake? So that wasn’t Professor Akaiashi?”, Maaya inquired, hiding behind her more courageous twin for support. Koyuki stared ahead with an uncertain look in her eyes.

Monokuma didn’t answer, only holding up an extended claw in frustration. With another snap of his non-existent fingers, the pillar behind him opened up like a locker to reveal a stack of sleek-looking devices.

“Those are your  **MonoPads** . I’ve prepared one for each of you, think of it like a student handbook. It has a variety of features but let’s focus on the  **Rules Section** for now”, he explained.

Reluctantly, everyone went up and received a device that was between a phone and a tablet size-wise. The backs were emblazoned with the same crimson symbol as Monokuma’s eye. Each one displayed the user’s name as they booted them up.

**WORLD’S CHOSEN REGULATIONS**

**#1: Students are to cohabitate in the Academy.**

**#2: When a murder occurs, a class trial will be held. Participation is mandatory under punishment of death.**

**#3: If the guilty party (henceforth referred to as ‘The Blackened’) is correctly identified, they alone will be punished for their crime.**

**#4: If the Blackened is not corrected identified, they will be allowed to leave the Academy. Additionally, the innocent students (hereafter referred to as ‘The Spotless’), will be punished in their place.**

**#5: Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited.**

**#6: The Killing Game will end after 30 Days have passed.**

**#7: Night-time is designated from 10PM to 8AM. Special rules may apply regarding this.**

**#8: Monokuma will not engage in murder… unless a rule has been broken.**

**#9: A Body Discovery Announcement will be played when 3 or more students discovers a corpse.**

**#10: Students may explore unlocked areas as much as they please, barring pending exemptions.**

**#11: You are not allowed to destroy you MonoPad.**

**#12: Jumping off the edge of the island is not allowed.**

**#13: The Headmaster may add more rules at any time.**

After reviewing the list of regulations, the students had a vast array of mixed expressions. Confusion, anger, despair, denial, and a bizarre sense of excitement.

“Hm, what exactly is a Class Trial?”, Mitsuo inquired with a slight smirk. 

“Huh? D-Don’t tell me you actually want to participate!? This is insane!?”, Kirie responded, aghast. 

“If this is the game we find ourselves trapped in… all information is valuable”, was the reasoning Mitsuo gave back.

“The Class Trial… let’s keep that under wraps until it happens… don’t want to give everything away at once! Puhuhuhu…”, Monokuma chimed in before bursting into a giggle.

“There’s no ‘until’! It’ll never happen because we’ll never kill eachother!”, Akihito proclaimed, nearly cracking his MonoPad in anger.

“Y-Yeah! That’s right!”, Shirou cried. Latching onto Akihito’s show of confidence was all he had the strength to do.

Anzu was deep in thought as she posed the question, “I’m more interested in Rule #6…”. Her tone was calm but clearly desperate for answers.

“Yeah… the thirty day rule, what the hell is up with that? If the game just ends after thirty days, this’ll be easy! All we have to do is just live here for a month or so and this will all blow over!”, Ryuto concluded, his tone turning to exuberance near the end.

“R-Really? We don’t have to kill eachother?”, Shirou asked hopefully.

Monokuma was silent. 

“Hm… it doesn’t say that”, Naoya pointed out, “All it says is that the game will end… it doesn’t say anything about us leaving… or even being alive”.

“Then what the fuck is the point!? What does that rule mean, Mono-whatever? What happens after thirty days!?”, Ryuto demanded. But Monokuma would not respond. 

“...I don’t want to be here that long to begin with…”, Niro muttered so quietly that she was barely heard.

“In this situation filled with doubt… perhaps we must search for our own way out…”, Asuta mused, flicking through the options on his MonoPad. 

“Look buddy, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but this island is now fucking miles in the sky. There ain’t gonna be some secret tunnel that leads outta here”, Ryuto argued, gesturing to the crowd of his peers.

“It’s the perfect trap… I don’t think we have a choice but to play this game”, Koyuki said, breaking her silence. Her sister looked horrified. 

“Sis! You can’t mean that!”, Maaya cried.

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ll protect you… or will I? Ooh, this air of uncertainty certainly makes our school life more interesting, that’s for certain!”, Koyuki chanted with a smile.

“D-Don’t scare me like that! A-And stop saying ‘certain’!”, Maaya snapped back.

Kazuna couldn’t help but notice that one person who barely seemed to be present in the conversation. Kameko was simply staring off into the distance, almost in the trance. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

“Well now… I think that’s enough for an introduction. You’ll meet my assistants soon enough, they’ll be handling the more mundane aspects of killing game management from here on out”, Monokuma began again.

“Feel free to explore this place as much as you want and get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ll want to gather all the information you can before you move in for the kill! Because in exactly two days’ time, I’m unveiling our first motive!”, he finished with wicked glee.

Monokuma raised a paw and threw down a glass orb, which shattered into a million pieces and spread a thick dust cloud in its place. By the time it settled, the bear was long gone.

Nobody knew what to say. Their entire world had turned upside down in what felt like an instant. Everyone was trying to process a hundred different emotions at once. Nothing seemed fair anymore and all eyes were darting around suspiciously.

Defying all expectations, it was Kameko who broke the silence.

“So was I the only one who noticed?”, she asked sternly.

With a sigh, Naoya replied, “No… of course I saw it”.

Ignoring him, Kameko turned and pointed directly at Kazuna.

“Take a good look at him. Doesn’t that strike you as suspicious?”, she asked the group.

Once it was seen, it could not be unseen. A target had suddenly been placed on Kazuna, who didn’t even seem to notice the issue. Ryuto glared at him once the realization dawned on him.

“His shirt… that symbol… it’s the same as Monokuma’s eye!”, he shouted, pointing to it as well. 

Indeed it was true. Though the colors were switched, it was undeniable that Kazuna’s t-shirt was explicitly Monokuma-themed. Several people approached him with sharp stares.

“What if he’s behind all this? What if he killed the Headmaster?”, Kirie theorized, her mind racing faster than all logic.

“Now that you mention it… Kazuna has been suspect this entire time. He claims to have amnesia but I bet that’s just his cover…”, Yuuji chimed in, reaching for one of his belt-strapped knives.

Kazuna took a step back as the pressure started getting to him. His head was still on fire and his mind rushed from one concept to the next without any logical progression. 

Soon, the group had him backed all the way to the end of the docks. Nobody seemed to know what to do, but nearly everyone seemed to be thinking very bad things about Kazuna, who didn’t know what to say for himself.

“W-Wait! Stop!”, cried out a voice that jumped between Kazuna and the mob of angry highschoolers.

It was Maaya who spread her arms out in his defense.

“Sis, what are you doing? Can’t you see how obviously suspicious he is?”, Koyuki asked, although she didn’t seem super interested in doing anything rash herself.

“I… I don’t think he’s a bad person!”, she pleaded.

“H-How can you know that? You just met him!”, Niro demanded, her lips trembling. 

“M-Maybe this is what that b-bear wants! To turn us against him! M-Maybe he’s being set-up so that someone will k-kill him!”, Maaya yelled with shaky confidence. 

“Hey, you don’t have to--”, Kazuna began saying before his vision suddenly blurred. His knees gave out and he found himself pushing Maaya to the ground once again by accident. As his mind drifted away, he remembered the first thing about himself that he had forgotten…

His condition…  **narcolepsy** . 

The Ultimate students found themselves trapped in a deadly game in a strange place… what events could possibly unfold from here?

...In the  **Mutual Killing Game of the World’s Chosen** .

**PROLOGUE:END**

**SURVIVING STUDENTS:17?**

**NEXT TIME**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**‘SHOT IN THE DARK;MARKED FOR DEATH’**


End file.
